951 transaxle in a 944

[Jrboulder]

Greetings pelicans,

My ring and pinion finally bit the dust on Saturday. I have a spare 951 open diff transaxle. I was wondering if anyone had put a 951 box in an N/A. I know it would be somewhat slower off the line, but that doesn't matter to me.

Jackson
1984 944 N/A

[Tervuren]

I put a 951 LSD transaxel back in my car when my ring gear cracked on my '84. Its just fine. Its nice to have the taller 2nd gear, real nice. It took me a bit to get used too though.

[Jrboulder]

I put a 951 LSD transaxel back in my car when my ring gear cracked on my '84. Its just fine. Its nice to have the taller 2nd gear, real nice. It took me a bit to get used too though.

Thanks for the reply!
I had thought that the ratios were a little close in the NA boxes.

Jackson

[rickharrison]

With the taller gears it will feel "dogged" when accelerating.

[Streetcrawler]

There is a guy in Englewood that has a pile of NA transmissions laying around if you want to go that route.

email him @ pseawalt *at* gmail

(FWIW, I was driving the Cayenne Turbo behind you when you broke the trans)

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by rickharrison

With the taller gears it will feel "dogged" when accelerating.

Voice of experience? Have you compared the difference when you include final drive ratios? My 944 with the 951 box is much better on interstate on ramps. Its not bad at lights either - I mean, a 951 has to get rolling with the same ratios, and it has lower compression pistons and the turbo is not doing much at a low RPM.

I find having 17's(Instead of cookies) make it feel more dogged in acceleration than having a 951 box. Sadly, the owner curbed a cookie right before I bought, so I had to use the wheels off my parts car, but I drove it with the cookies prior.

[smokin_944]

One of my buddies at Rennlist did the swap (to a turbo transaxle) on a Series 1 car and said that the highway driving was improved along with gas mileage although Rick has a point because of the taller gears in a turbo box. This swap arguably means less shifting in the city I would imagine...

[Pettybird]

definitely less shifting. voice of experience since I own an NA and a turbo. I get away with driving a gear lower in the turbo.

I was thinking of at least going to a taller 5th in my 944S as the 21mpg is getting to be annoying at $3.75 a gallon.

[smokin_944]

Originally Posted by Pettybird

definitely less shifting. voice of experience since I own an NA and a turbo. I get away with driving a gear lower in the turbo.

I was thinking of at least going to a taller 5th in my 944S as the 21mpg is getting to be annoying at $3.75 a gallon.

A taller gear is definitely a good thing here because the price is $5.27 a gallon presently.

[rickharrison]

A turbo needs the taller gears to maximize/utilize its power. The NA does not need the taller gears.

Ask a 944 spec racer...they will tell you from experience.

[alfadoc]

Important to remember the OP is in Boulder, CO at 5000 ft. 20% less air means 20% less horsepower. Just moved back to the east coast after 11 years in Denver. It makes a BIG difference.

[smokin_944]

Good call. I missed that!

[Brooklyn758]

I dont mean to interrupt. But you guys seem to know alot about this tranny swapping . I have a 88 944 where the Damper was converted to a clutch assembly.It is having started problems .the starteri believe is overshooting ringgear . I think my problem is turbo or large flywheel. cause ring gear is close to starter mounting hole. With a N/A man bell housing .
Any advice ? i have another post with pictures called "starter is starting trouble".&" modified Damper needs modified starter?" .
Can the starter be shimmed or a spacer to push it back 1/2 :" maybe. How would that fair?
i would like to convert .Nbut probably to much or expensive . I have extra an extra damper in case we have to change back .i just need flexplate Do ineed to change bell housing also .Its a man. bellhousing

[rickharrison]

Originally Posted by smokin_944

Good call. I missed that!

alphadoc is sharp!

[Laptop_geek]

It can be easily done. Most V8s are running a 951 tranny.

[ernie9944]

Originally Posted by Laptop_geek

It can be easily done. Most V8s are running a 951 tranny.

Yes ,but most 944,s V8 conversion are making between 350-400 HP.An humble 944 8V NA between 143-163HP depending on the year,wouldn't you say your talking to different cars now.

[alfadoc]

Originally Posted by rickharrison

alphadoc is sharp!

That's alfadoc, as in one who doctors Alfa Romeos

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by alfadoc

Important to remember the OP is in Boulder, CO at 5000 ft. 20% less air means 20% less horsepower. Just moved back to the east coast after 11 years in Denver. It makes a BIG difference.

The car that I put a 951 box in made the least power out of all the 944's I've driven, however, it wasn't a peaky motor, and the 951 box I think was an improvement to the car as it let me pull more often in the mid range RPM's. At 50MPH its 5 MPH from 2nd to 3rd and you are pushing the redline with the stock box, in a 951 Box, 2nd takes you just over 100KPH(62MPH), which works out better for me.

If your engine is peaky - you'll be alright once you get rolling, but it will take holding the clutch a little longer and putting the right foot down more. i have driven another 944na with a 951 box, and it was a dog of a car with a bad bottom end on the torque curve. Not as fun to get rolling, but ok once rolling.

[rickharrison]

Originally Posted by alfadoc

That's alfadoc, as in one who doctors Alfa Romeos

haha!

[Laptop_geek]

Originally Posted by ernie9944

Yes ,but most 944,s V8 conversion are making between 350-400 HP.An humble 944 8V NA between 143-163HP depending on the year,wouldn't you say your talking to different cars now.

Yup, but it can still be completed.

I've always thought the gears the N/A boxes were too close together, maybe its just me though. Although a 944 with a 951 box may not be the top performer, it might make it a little easier to drive, and if you had a 944S (or a 2.7 for that matter) it shouldn't be any problem.